


Ocean Waves

by Sir_Weston



Series: Steven and Lapis [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Awkward Kissing, Awkward Romance, F/M, Neck Kissing, Romance, Rough Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-08 16:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8851924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sir_Weston/pseuds/Sir_Weston
Summary: Steven has always been there for Lapis, so it's easy to see why she cares for him so deeply. So when Steven comes to stay at the barn for a while, Lapis couldn't be happier! But love is a very complicated emotion, as Lapis quickly discovers when certain obstacles start getting in the way. Such as a meddling room mate, a sweet and innocent friend, and a dark power determined to keep Lapis for itself. Lapis is going to have to find her own inner strength in order to come to terms with her own feelings.





	1. A Week at the Barn

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story I made on another site, but I couldn't import it, so I'm doing it this way instead. Hope you all like it!

Chapter 1 – A Week at the Barn

I can’t pretend to know everything that goes on with Steven and the Crystal Gems, especially seeing as I’m not one of them. I don’t really know what goes on when they go on their missions. But for whatever reason, they decided that this mission especially was far too dangerous for Steven, and seeing how they were going to be gone for a few days, they decided to bring him to Peridot and me at the barn so we could watch over him while they were gone.  
Not that I mind, of course. Steven is my closest friend along with Peridot. In fact, I would say that those two are my only friends. So when Steven arrived at the barn, I was very happy to see him. I had even gotten out a mattress for him to sleep on while he was with us. When Steven arrived, he was carrying his cheeseburger backpack and hotdog bag. I walked towards him, and he dropped everything and ran over to hug me.  
“Lapis!” he exclaimed in greeting, wrapping his arms around me, “I’m so excited to be staying with you and Peridot!”  
“So am I, Steven,” I replied earnestly, reciprocating his hug. We were suddenly forced apart when Peridot squeezed herself between us so she could hug Steven as well, much to my chagrin.  
“Steven!” she greeted, “Good to see you again!”  
“Same to you, Peridot,” Steven replied honestly. Obviously Steven was truly happy to see Peridot again. I, however, wished that my roommate could be literally anywhere else right now.  
Peridot released Steven and lead him into the barn. I followed after picking up Steven’s bags which he had neglected to do himself. She led him over to where I dragged out the mattress explaining to him that that is where he would be sleeping.  
“You don’t have an actual bed?” Steven asked hopefully.  
“Why would we?” Peridot questioned.  
“Sorry, Steven. It was the best we could do on such short notice,” I told him.  
“That’s all right,” Steven said, brightening, “It’s not like I haven’t slept on this mattress before. Where are you two going to sleep?”  
“We don’t sleep,” Peridot reminded him.  
“Oh yeah, right.” He looked slightly embarrassed. “I sometimes forget that since Amethyst likes to sleep a lot.”  
As he had arrived as the sun was going down, by the time Steven had settled himself in, it was already dark out. Peridot and I hadn’t really put any extra lights in the barn, so when the sky got dark, so did the barn. Steven settled himself into bed, and I quietly watched from the second floor. Yawning, Steven laid down.  
“Good night, Lapis! Good night, Peridot!” he called out to us.  
“Good night, Steven,” the both of us rang out in response.  
Once he was fast asleep, I looked over the barn to see where Peridot was and saw her watching and episode of Camp Pining Hearts across the room. She had pointed the TV away from Steven so the light wouldn’t bother him while he slept. Even through the darkness, she somehow saw me sitting in the rafters and silently asked if I wanted to watch with her. I simply shook my head. She shrugged and went back to watching her show.  
I silently flew down from the rafters and landed next to where Steven slept. I carefully sat down next to him cross-legged, and watched him in his sleep. I didn’t really care if Peridot noticed or not, I just wanted to sit there and watch him.  
And keep him safe.


	2. Lapis and Connie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter things get complicated for poor Lapis when Steven receives a visitor at the barn. Could she be a rival for Lapis?

I didn’t realize I had watched Steven all night until the sun started coming up, and light poured into the barn. When I realized that Steven would be waking up soon, I quickly flew up to the banister to hide. I watched quietly as Steven slowly woke, stretching and yawning. Pretending that I hadn’t been watching him all night, I jumped down from the rafters to greet him.  
“Good morning, Steven,” I greeted him enthusiastically.  
Steven smiled sleepily at me and yawned. “Morning, Lapis!” he said, “What did you do last night?”  
“Uh, nothing really exciting,” I told him hastily, “I just sat up on the roof all night.”  
“Oh, OK,” he said, believing me. He stood up and stretched, looking around. Then he looked back at me, as if waiting for me to do something. I suddenly realized he was waiting for me to give him some privacy. Blushing, I turned and flew out of the barn.  
When I came back later, Steven was dressed for the day and talking to Peridot, who for some reason was beating a car door with a baseball bat. Sighing, I walked over to them.  
“Do you have to make so much noise?” I asked my roommate, “What are you doing?”  
“Relax, Lapis,” Peridot scoffed, “I’m simply working on my next meep morp.” Then she resumed hitting the door. Steven turned to me.  
“By the way,” he began, “Is it all right if my friend Connie comes over? We were going to hang out at my house today, but because the Gems left, I told her she could come here.”  
I felt myself starting to grow pale, for some reason. But luckily, Steven and Peridot didn’t seem to notice. Peridot put the bat down and turned to Steven.  
“I don’t see any reason why not,” she replied, “Lapis?”  
I started a bit when she addressed me. “Um, yeah, I don’t mind,” I said, lying through my teeth. But why did I mind? I had never met this Connie before!  
“Thanks guys!” Steven exclaimed happily. Then he ran outside to where I saw a car driving up. The girl was here? Already? I felt myself shiver in anticipation, and Peridot looked at me.  
“Lapis? Are you all right?” she asked.  
I sighed. “I’m fine,” I answered. I walked out of the barn and over to where Steven was greeting his friend.  
“Lapis, this is Connie,” Steven told me, “She’s one of my best friends. And Connie, this is Lapis Lazuli.”  
“Pleased to meet you,” Connie said politely, “I mean, we kind of briefly met before, but it’s nice to properly meet you.” She held out her hand.  
“Right,” I mumbled. I had seen this gesture before, but I still did not understand it. What did she expect me to do? I was saved from having to figure it out by Peridot coming out of the barn.  
“You must be Steven’s friend,” she said as soon as she reached us, “I am Peridot.”  
“Oh hello!” Connie greeted politely, “I’m Connie. Steven’s told me a lot about you.”  
Peridot suddenly looked nervous. “What did he say about me?” she asked anxiously, “He didn’t tell you about that thing, did he?”  
All of us stared blankly at her. “What are you talking about?” I wondered.  
“What thing?” Steven questioned, “I didn’t tell her about any ‘thing.’”  
“Oh. Well good,” Peridot replied, sighing with relief. “I was just jesting, of course. For sport. I haven’t done anything wrong… recently.”  
Her shifty eyes told me otherwise, but I didn’t say so out loud. I watched with slight amusement as she shyly shuffled away. Steven, after a moment’s pause, turned to Connie.  
“So, Connie, I was thinking that we could start with a walk…” Steven took Connie’s hand and led her towards the barn, chatting excitedly. I felt myself growing jealous as I watched them walk together, and I didn’t know why. Steven was allowed to have other friends. And I knew I probably wasn’t even his closest friend. I knew this, and I had accepted it. So why did this bother me so much?  
I slowly followed them back into the barn, trying to think of something to say so that maybe Steven would offer for me to join them. But I didn’t want to sound desperate or clingy. Would it be all right for me to simply ask? Would he rather just spend the day alone with his friend? I didn’t know, and I was afraid to ask.  
When I walked back into the barn I spotted Steven and Connie sitting on the mattress talking excitedly. I sighed when I saw them, and started to walk away. But suddenly, Steven called to me.  
“Lapis! Wait!” I turned around to see him and Connie walking over to me. I felt my hope rising as they approached.  
“We were going to go for a walk around the farm,” Connie explained to me, “And we wanted to know if you wanted to come with us?”  
I tried not to blush, or be too obvious. “I would love to,” I replied, sheepishly.  
Steven took both of our hands and led us away from the barn. We walked towards the nearby fields, Steven humming a happy little song. I smiled at him as we walked. That was one of the things that drew me to Steven; he was always so cheerful and optimistic. Even when I was down or feeling bad for myself.  
Connie giggled as Steven hummed. “Is that a song you made up?” she asked him.  
“Yeah!” Steven replied enthusiastically, “I made it up just now, actually. You two should join me!”  
I felt myself blush. “I don’t know, Steven,” I muttered. I saw that Connie looked nervous as well. Steven smiled at us and started humming louder, trying to get us to join in. After a moment, Connie and I looked at each other, and we couldn’t help but burst into a fit of giggles. Then we joined Steven in his humming.  
I felt my spirits lifting. When we got back to the barn, I decided to use my powers to show what I could with water. Steven and Connie watched in awe as I lifted the water out of the pool and made it into a giant bubble. Steven looked excited.  
“Floating pool!” he exclaimed. He ran over and leapt into the water, clothes in all. I was going to object, but I couldn’t once I saw how much fun he was having. After a moment’s hesitation, Connie also took a running leap into the water. She surfaced near the top of the bubble, laughing.  
“This is amazing!” she praised.  
Steven also surfaced, splashing her with water. “Isn’t Lapis the best?” he asked her.  
I turned away slightly so they couldn’t see me smile and blush. After that, I watched quietly as Steven and Connie played together, chasing and tackling each other. I found myself with a strange mixture of envy and peace. I was starting to like Connie. She seemed nice, and I knew that Steven would never make friends with anyone who wasn’t nice. But it was also clear that he was very close to her. What did that mean for me?  
“Hey Lapis,” Steven called to me as he ran over, “Is it all right if Connie stays the night?”  
“Of course, Steven,” I replied right away. I hadn’t even really thought about it, I simply wanted to please him. “If Peridot is all right with it as well. And I imagine she will be.”  
“Thanks, Lapis!” he exclaimed as he ran off to find Peridot.  
That night I sat up in the rafters of the barn, staring and watching Steven and Connie as they slept. Waiting, and watching.  
While dark and horrible thoughts drifted through my head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a review! They're always welcome!


	3. Deep Cuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis spends more time with Steven and Connie, but starts hearing a strange voice. What could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a review!

I watched Steven and Connie sleep all night. They slept on the same mattress, but they weren’t touching. This made me feel a little better. I still felt horrible about how much I resented the girl simply for being Steven’s friend. I shouldn’t feel that way! Sighing, I flew off the beam I was sitting on and went out to the pool. One of the things I liked to do when I was troubled was just lay on my back in the water, staring up at the sky. The sun was just barely peaking over the horizon; it would still be several hours before anyone was awake. I took a deep breath, breathing in the smells of the country and closed my eyes.  
Breathing gently, I could hear nothing except for the sound of a bird calling from far away. I heard what sounded like footsteps in the grass, and a small splash, but I didn’t feel like opening my eyes to check. Suddenly, I felt someone grab me around the waist and them clamper on top of me. My control of the water kept me from sinking, but I was still surprised and my eyes snapped open. I was quite startled to see Steven, soaking wet, sitting on me and smiling. I blinked in amazement at him.  
“Steven?! What are you doing awake?” I asked, “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”  
“Sorry,” he apologized, “I saw you fly out of the barn, and I wanted to see where you went.” He blushed a little. “Sorry for startling you.”  
I smiled calmly at him and gently gripped his arms to keep him balanced. “That’s all right,” I replied, “I just come out here to think sometimes. But what are you doing awake?”  
“I couldn’t sleep,” he answered. I was a little confused by this. I had watched him all night, and he seemed to have been sleeping to me. Of course, I said none of this out loud.  
As I lay there, staring up at him, Steven suddenly leaned down and rested his head on my chest. I took a sharp breath as laid his torso on mine, his fluffy hair tickling my skin as his head rested upon my breast. Neither of us said anything, and I listened to Steven’s soft breathing. I wanted to say something, anything, but the words caught in my throat. I felt so stupid, unable to say how I really felt. Why couldn’t I say those four words? Why were they so difficult?  
“Lapis?” Steven said suddenly, startling me.  
“Yes, Steven?”  
“Do you like Connie?”  
I was completely taken aback by the question. Had I been that obvious? Surely I had been pleasant to the girl? I tried not to fidget uncomfortably.  
“Um, of course,” I replied in my most normal sounding voice, “She’s very nice, Steven.”  
I felt Steven nod. “OK, I was just wondering,” he told me, “It would make me happy to know that all of my closest friends got along.”  
I breathed an inner sigh of relief as he dropped the subject. He sat up and jumped into the pool, splashing me and getting me soaking wet. I giggled a little as he swam around in little circles, still fully dressed in his clothes.  
“Come on, Steven,” I chided gently, “You better get changed into dry clothing. You don’t want to catch a cold.”  
Steven looked at me and nodded. “Okay!” he replied. He climbed out of the pool and shook himself off, then ran back into the barn to change. I myself laid there for a few more minutes before getting out. When I went back into the barn, Steven had already changed and was waking up Connie.  
I watched quietly from the shadows as Steven and Connie played together. Then they joined Peridot in watching “Camp Pining Hearts.” I should have joined them. Why didn’t I join them? What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I get over this? Sighing heavily, I walked out of the barn and around to the back. I sat there quietly, reflecting on my feelings. I knew Steven wouldn’t mind if I asked to join in their activities. I was also certain the girl, Connie would not object either. So, what was holding me back?  
Was it my own selfish desires? Was it simply that I wanted Steven to myself? I shook my head when I considered this.  
I stared off into the distance as the sun slowly rose beyond the hill. For a moment, everything was quiet. Maybe a little too quiet. I could swear I could hear a voice on the wind, but it wasn’t Steven’s, or Connie’s, or Peridot’s. But it was still familiar. Maybe it was one of the Crystal Gems? But that couldn’t be.  
Deciding to find out, I stood up and walked towards the voice. It sounded far away, but at the same time it sounded so near. I could barely make it out, but it sounded like it was calling to me. Who’s voice was it? I knew that I knew it from somewhere. The voice was starting to lead me into a nearby grove of trees.  
I entered the grove, and just when I was starting to remember where I knew the voice from, I suddenly heard Steven calling my name from the barn. Abandoning my search, I quickly flew back to him.  
“There you are, Lapis!” Steven exclaimed when he saw me, “Connie and I were wondering if you would like to come with us for a walk through the fields. It’ll be fun!”  
“Are you sure you want me to come with you?” I asked, blushing slightly, “You don’t want to spend time alone together?”  
Steven suddenly frowned at me. “Do you… not want to come with us?” he asked.  
“No! No, no!” I replied quickly, “I do! I just didn’t…” I paused, realizing how silly I was being. Why would he ask me to come with him if he didn’t actually want me to come with him? “Sorry,” I said, “I was just being silly. I would love to join you two.”  
“Great!” Steven exclaimed, taking my hand, “Come on! Connie’s waiting for us!”  
Connie was standing in front of the barn, waiting patiently for us. She smiled when she saw us. “There you two are!” she greeted, “Lapis! Glad to have you with us!”  
I felt ashamed of myself. How could I harbor such resentment for such a nice girl? And of course, I should know that she is a nice person, she’s friends with Steven, after all! I smiled at her the best I could.  
“Thank you for letting me join you,” I replied. Much like the day before, we wandered out to where the fields were. There was nothing there, but Peridot had been saying recently that she wanted to do something in the fields. But she never told me what.  
Connie skipped along beside Steven, breathing deeply. “The air out here is so much cleaner compared to the city,” she commented, “I can see why you and Peridot like it so much. I don’t know if my parents would like it though. They’re kind of sticks-in-the-mud.”  
Steven gasped. “You shouldn’t talk that way about your parents!” he chided, “I mean, even if it is a little bit true…”  
“What are your parents like?” I asked Connie.  
“They’re okay, I guess,” she replied, “They’re pretty strict with a lot of things, though my mom has lightened up a bit recently, thanks to Steven.” She gave her friend a gentle nudge.  
Steven laughed at the memory. “Yeah, we were totally amazing at that hospital!” he said.  
I tried to fight down the jealousy that I felt building in my throat. I wished I could boast about having as many adventures with Steven as Connie clearly had. But most of my memories with Steven also involved Jasper, and I didn’t want to think about her.  
As we walked back to the barn, I could see Peridot up on the roof trying to break the car door she had been banging on through the roof. I wondered why, but then I remembered that it was Peridot.  
Connie looked at her watch, then at the sky. The sun was right above us by now. She sighed. “My parents will be coming to get me soon,” she told us regretfully, “They wanted me to be home by supper time.”  
“Aww!” Steven moaned, “But we were having so much fun!”  
“It’s not like we’ll never see each other again,” Connie pointed out, “I’ll see you next week.” As she said this, a car pulled up to the barn. I assumed it was her parents. She waved good bye to us and hopped in the car. I can’t say I was disappointed to see her go.  
Steven waved until the car was completely out of sight, then he turned to me. “I’m glad you got to meet Connie,” he said, “I knew you two would get along!”  
Again, I felt horrible for disliking the girl for no reason. Maybe if I saw her again I would make more of an attempt to be more outwardly friendly to her.  
I started suddenly when Steven gently took my hand and led me back into the barn. I could still hear Peridot up on the roof doing whatever it was she was doing. Steven smiled up at me.  
“What’s Peridot doing?” he wondered.  
I shrugged. “I have no idea,” I replied, “Peridot just kind of does her own thing.”  
Steven giggled a little. “Yeah, that does sound like Peridot,” he commented, “So what do you want to do now? We have the whole barn to ourselves!”  
“Whatever you want to do, Steven,” I answered, a bit shyly on my part.  
We spent the rest of the day exploring places in the barn that Steven hadn’t seen yet. Then we tormented Peridot a little, and she chased us around the barn for bothering her. When the sun went down, Steven was exhausted.  
“What a day!” he sighed, flopping down on the mattress. I sat down next to him, gently pulling his blanket up over him. “Good night, Lapis!”  
“Good night, Steven,” I replied.  
I sat a little bit away from him, silently watching him through the darkness. As I took my silent vigil, I suddenly heard the wind outside blowing, and once again the mysterious voice called to me. Shivering, I decided to investigate.  
I followed the voice back out into the grove. Now that it was night time, the grove was much more sinister, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. This place was too much for me. I started to turn to go back to the barn, when someone suddenly grabbed me from behind, twisting my arms behind me and wrapping a strong thick arm around my throat.  
I was trapped.


	4. Act Out of Hate and Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis has been kidnapped, but by who? And what do they want from her?  
> Can Steven find and save her in time?

I was dragged through the trees and bushes to a place I had never seen before. I tried to struggle and escape, but whoever had me had such a tight grip on me that I was in danger of passing out. A strange cave opened up in the ground and I was forced inside. The cave was some sort of blue crystal cave, and it looked like someone had been making use of the space recently. There were shackles, like a torture dungeon, chained to the walls. Just when I was wondering why I was brought here, I was forcibly turned around and I finally saw my attacker. I gasped in utter horror.  
It was Jasper. I backed away in fear as she grinned sadistically at me. She took a step forward and grabbed me.  
“I finally found you,” she hissed at me, “You are not easy to track down. But who knew you would be hiding in some run-down shack with that traitor, Peridot?”  
“I’m not hiding from anyone!” I countered, “And how did you find me? Why did you  
find me?” I shivered. “You want me to fuse with you again, don’t you?”  
Jasper threw back her head and let out a horrible laugh. “I don’t want to fuse with you, Lapis,” she sneered, “I want something else from you…”  
I tried to back away from her, but she still had me. Before I could react, Jasper slammed me into the ground, nearly cracking my gem. Then she hovered over me, leaned down and, to my great surprise, kissed me. I couldn’t move at all as I felt her rough lips pressed against my own. What was going on here? Why was she doing this?  
She sat up and grinned down at me. I stared back in fear.  
“Do you get it?” she asked, “I want you! That feeling of power I get from you… I crave it! You’re mine now, Lapis! I’m never letting you go!”  
I felt myself trembling underneath her grasp. She had my arms pinned to the ground, and one of her knees was digging into my stomach. She was practically crushing me with her size and power.  
“Let me go!” I gasped, trying to break free, “You can’t keep me here!”  
Again, Jasper grinned. “Oh, can’t I?” she sneered. She seized my wrists and dragged me over to where the chains were. Then she shackled my neck and arms to the wall. I tried to struggle, but the chains were too strong. Jasper laughed as I tried to fight.  
“Struggle all you want,” she growled, “You have no hope of escaping.”  
Laughing again, she crouched down in front of me. I tried press myself against the wall, to make myself smaller, but it didn’t matter to Jasper. She leaned in and kissed me again. I shuddered as she pressed hard against me. This was torture! Was she really going to keep me here? I tried to pull back, but she pressed forward.  
When she finally pulled away, I was shivering. I hated her laugh; as she had thrown her head back in laughter again.  
“Aw, what’s the matter?” she sneered, “Getting a little cold down here for you? You want me to keep you warm?”  
“Stay away from me!” I hissed at her, “Steven will come and find me! Then he’ll get me out of this horrible place!”  
Jasper grinned at me. “That’s not very likely,” she said, “No one will ever find you here.” She cracked her knuckles. “I’ll make sure of that.”  
She gave me another horrible kiss before stalking out of the cave. As soon as she was gone, I tried in vain to break free of my bonds. But it was just no use. There was no water around, so I couldn’t use that to free myself. All I had were my wings, and those weren’t going to help much. My only hope was that somehow Steven or Peridot would find me.  
I curled up, hugging my legs, wondering what Steven was doing right now…

 

When I woke that morning, stretching and yawning, I felt something was different. I quickly got dressed and looked around. Peridot was just leaving the barn. Where was Lapis? She usually greeted me in the morning. Concerned, I followed Peridot out of the barn.  
“Oh! Good morning, Steven!” she greeted me as I walked over to her.  
“Morning, Peridot,” I greeted back, “Have you seen Lapis? She usually greets me when I wake up, but she didn’t this morning.”  
Peridot stopped and thought for a moment. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen her since last night,” she replied, “I watched as she walked out of the barn as if looking for something. And I haven’t seen her since.” She suddenly looked very worried. “You don’t think she’s in trouble, do you?”  
I didn’t before, but now I did. I felt panic starting to rise within me. “Maybe not,” I said, “Maybe she just went for a walk and she hasn’t come back yet. I’m going to go look for her. You stay here in case she comes back.”  
“Sure thing, captain,” Peridot responded, saluting to me.  
I chuckled a little before setting off. First I scouted the perimeter of the barn in case I could spot her. When I got to the back of the barn, I saw some bent grass and what looked like foot prints. Was this the way Lapis went? I had to be sure, so I followed them.  
The footprints lead to a small grove that I had never seen before. I wondered if Peridot knew this was here. I walked into the middle of the grove and suddenly spotted much larger footprints. Those were definitely not Lapis’. But they did look sort of familiar. I only knew one person who could make footprints that big, and if she really was wandering around the area, then I was going to need back up.  
I quickly ran back to the barn, glancing back once to make sure I wasn’t followed. I found Peridot exactly where I had left her. She seemed surprised to see me.  
“Back so soon?” she questioned, “Did you find Lapis?”  
“No,” I replied, out of breath, “And I think she’s in trouble!”

 

It was several hours before Jasper returned. I wanted to know where she went, I wanted to make sure she hadn’t gone after Steven, but I was afraid to ask. When she came in, she sat down next to me and put an arm around me, pressing me against her. I felt helpless as she gently tipped my head back and began kissing my neck. I shuddered. Why was she doing this to me?  
When she was done, she took my wrists and inspected them. She frowned at me.  
“You’ve been trying to escape, haven’t you?” she growled.  
“Of course I have!” I countered angrily, “I don’t want to stay here! You have to let me go at some point!”  
Jasper laughed. “Is that what you think?” she sneered, “I don’t have to do anything! You’re helpless! You have no power over me! I can do whatever I want with you!”  
To prove her point, she pulled me closer and kissed me. This time she was much more rough about it, as if she was trying to hurt me. I pushed against her, trying to push her away, but it was no use. She was way too strong for me. If only I had some water.  
She kissed me a lot longer than she had before, and I wondered if she was trying to forcefully fuse with me or something. The silence that filled the minutes as Jasper kissed me was unbearable. She finally stopped and pulled away, grinning at me. I hated her grin, and her laugh. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to wipe that grin off her face.  
“It’s starting to get late, Lapis,” Jasper said to me, “Still think ‘Steven’ is coming to rescue you? Maybe he doesn’t even know you’re gone!”  
“Steven’s coming,” I muttered, “I know he is. And he’ll make you pay for keeping me here!”  
I wanted to punch her as she laughed again. “Ooh, I’m so scared!” she sneered, “I don’t care how powerful you think Rose is, she’s reformed herself. She’s weak and puny now! And she’ll never save you!”  
I could feel anger boiling up inside me. “That’s not Rose!” I yelled at her, “His name is Steven, and he’s far more powerful than you could ever know! And I know he’ll save me because…” I paused, not wanting to say it out loud.  
Jasper raised an eyebrow at me. “Hm? Because why?” she asked, skeptically.  
I looked down and said nothing. I was taken by surprise when Jasper suddenly slapped me across the face. I gasped with pain and brought a hand up to where she had struck me. Looking back at her, Jasper was glaring angrily at me.  
“What were you going to say, brat?” she hissed, “Tell me!”  
Shaking, I got to my feet to look Jasper straight in the eye. Again, I felt rage building inside me as I faced her.  
“I know he’ll save me,” I repeated in a shout, “Because I love him!”  
“LAPIS!” a familiar voice called out, his voice echoing through the cave. I gasped.  
“Steven!” I exclaimed, “I’m in here!” I let out moan as Jasper punched me in the side, and I collapsed to the ground.  
“How did he find this place?” Jasper growled, “I kept this place well hidden!”  
A moment later, Steven and Peridot came rushing in. Upon seeing me on the ground, Steven gasped and Peridot glared at Jasper.  
“Lapis, are you okay?” Steven asked. He took a step towards me, but Jasper blocked his path, growling angrily.  
“I don’t think so,” Jasper hissed, “I’m not going to let you take something else from me!”  
Steven took another step forward. “Lapis isn’t yours!” he argued, “She’s supposed to be free! Let her go!”  
“Never!” Jasper snapped. She summoned her crash helmet and rushed towards the two. I closed my eyes and heard a loud crash. When I opened my eyes again, Steven and Peridot had been thrust away, and Jasper had crashed into the wall. Steven had landed very close to me.  
“Steven!” I called to him. He struggled to his feet and ran over to me. He threw his arms around me, and I embraced him back.  
“Lapis, are you okay?” he asked me, wrapping me tight in his arms.  
“I am now that you’re here,” I answered quietly. I leaned in, but a roar from Jasper interrupted us.  
“Get away from her!” she snarled. I cringed as Jasper stomped towards us. “She belongs to me now!”  
“No,” I hissed, pressing Steven closer to me, “You don’t own me. You can’t control me anymore! I won’t let you!”  
Jasper sneered at us. She stomped towards us, and I clung to Steven even tighter. He gently hugged me back.  
“Steven,” I whispered, “You need to get out of here. I’ll take care of Jasper and make sure she doesn’t come after you.”  
“No, Lapis,” Steven objected, “I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself again. I’m staying by your side and nothing you do will make me leave.”  
I didn’t want him to get hurt, but I was touched. I looked Steven straight in the eye. “Ok, Steven,” I said quietly, “If you insist. We’ll do this together.”  
Steven nodded with a determined look on his face. “Together,” he repeated. He hugged me again, and suddenly I felt strange. My gem started glowing, and I saw a horrified look cross Jasper’s face.  
“NO!” she cried, “You can’t do this! I won’t let you!”  
I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I felt strange. I had only felt like this once before. Jasper ran towards us, as Steven and I started glowing brightly. Could it possibly be? Was this really happening? Was it really…?  
Just as Steven and I started to merge, both of us staring in surprise at each other, Jasper tackled us.


	5. The Rise of Azurite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis and Steven fuse for the first time and fight Jasper! But will it be enough to fend her off? Or will Jasper's determination over power them?

Jasper slammed her shoulder into my midsection, knocking all the breath from me, and separating me from Steven. She had tackled me so hard, the chains attached to the wall burst out of it, covering Jasper and me in rocks and debris. Jasper hovered over me, keeping most of the rocks from hitting me. When the dust settled, Jasper’s face was very close to mine. I was about to thank her for protecting me, but she looked very angry at me.  
“You,” she growled quietly at me, “How dare you! About to fuse with an abomination? Falling in love with him? Do you really think gems can fall in love like that? Love means nothing! It’s all about power!”  
“That’s not true,” I replied in a quiet voice, “I’ve seen true love before. And I love Steven more than you could possibly understand.” I looked over to where Steven was struggling to get to his feet. I was relieved when Peridot ran over to help him.  
Jasper spat at me. “I’ll crush Rose,” she threatened, “And that lousy little traitor! And then I’ll finally have you all to myself.” She stood up and picked me up with her, wrapping an arm around my chest and holding me to her.  
Steven and Peridot stood a few paces away, glaring at her. Jasper glared back at them.  
“You think you can take everything from me, don’t you?” she snarled at Steven, “You think just because you won once or twice, you can do as you like!” She suddenly addressed me. “This is where your love is going to get you!” she spat, “If I can’t have you, no one can!” She grabbed my back where my gemstone was and held me high off the ground.  
“What are you going to-“ I was cut off when Jasper suddenly started squeezing me. I cried out in pain as she slowly clenched her fist. I knew what she was trying to do. She was going to shatter me! I could already feel my gem starting to crack and I cried out in even more pain. Steven and Peridot stared in horror.  
“Stop it!” Peridot pleaded, “Let her go!”  
“Never!” Jasper growled, “I’m not letting Rose take anything else from me!”  
“Lapis!” Steven called out to me. I could see tears forming in his eyes.  
“Steven…” I managed to choke out, “I… love… you…”  
Determination suddenly flashed into Steven’s eyes. He glared as Jasper focused her energy on trying to shatter me. He summoned his shield and muttered something to Peridot that I couldn’t hear. Then he suddenly rushed forward, slamming his shield into Jasper’s stomach. She released me, and I fell to the ground as Jasper flew backwards. She slammed into the cave wall, momentarily stunned.  
Steven ran over to me and took me in his arms. Peridot stood in front of us, trying to protect us if Jasper woke. “Lapis,” he said quietly, “Are you okay?”  
“I don’t know,” I answered weakly, “Is my gem cracked?”  
He gently supported me as he went behind me to check. I heard him take a sharp breath and I knew in an instant that it was. I felt myself weakening, and my eyes glazed over. Suddenly, I felt Steven’s lips against my gemstone. Instead of licking his hand like he did last time, he kissed my gemstone. I felt a strange tingle run up my spine, and I could feel my gem healing.  
Steven gently held me in his arms and looked at me. And I looked up at him.  
“Steven,” I whispered, “You saved me again.” He nodded.  
“I don’t want Jasper to hurt you anymore, Lapis,” he told me sincerely, “I... I love you, too.”  
We hugged each other in a warm embrace, and once again, my gem started glowing and we were enveloped in light. At that moment, Jasper started to come to. But it was too late for her this time. She and Peridot stared in awe as Steven and I fused together.

…

I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. I was no longer Lapis Lazuli, and I was no longer Steven. Who was I? I had no clue. Because I didn’t have immediate access to any sort of reflection, I had no idea what I looked like. But I did tower over Peridot and I was quite a bit taller than Jasper. My height most likely came from Lapis, I assumed. I suddenly became aware of Peridot staring at me with wonderment while Jasper glared. I raised a brow at her.  
“Is something bothering you?” I asked, my voice coming out in a medium pitch (at least to my ears. I have no idea what I really sounded like!)  
“Yes, something is bothering me,” Jasper growled, “It’s you! You disgust me, Rose! Fusing with anyone so you’ll seem less pathetic!”  
“If memory serves,” I replied, “You fused with Lapis for that very same reason!”  
“How dare you!” Jasper snarled, “I’m going to rip you apart! Then I’ll shatter you, Rose!”  
I gently nudged Peridot behind me so she wouldn’t get hurt. Then I calmly faced Jasper again, summoning Steven’s shield. She summoned her crash helmet. Then she rushed me, trying to hit me where I couldn’t defend myself, but I quickly raised my shield and blocked her. Peridot cheered for me.  
Jasper got to her feet and faced me again. I was ready for her. I tossed the shield, slamming Jasper in her face. As she stumbled backwards in pain, I rushed forward, punching her in the stomach. She crashed into the wall, and I smiled triumphantly.  
“Had enough yet?” I asked.  
Jasper stumbled to her feet. “Never!” she hissed, “I will never stop trying to shatter you! Rose, you will never defeat me! I don’t care if you’re fused! I’ll defeat you!”  
She lunged forward, much more weakly this time, and I side stepped her easily. She was starting to lose her balance. I took a step forward, but stopped when everything suddenly started shaking. I looked over to where Jasper had slammed into the wall and saw a large crack racing up the wall and into the ceiling. The cave was starting to come apart, with rocks and debris coming down on all of us. I quickly summoned my shield and Peridot ran over to me.  
“What’s going on?” Peridot asked, panicked, “Why is the ceiling falling?”  
“I must’ve hit Jasper too hard,” I explained, trying to stay calm. I flinched as a particularly large rock fell and shattered on my shield. I looked around, but I couldn’t see Jasper anywhere. Did she manage to escape?  
I was answered when Jasper suddenly tackled me from behind. My shield disappeared, and Peridot quickly dove under a large rock for protection. Jasper and I, however, were completely exposed.  
“What are you doing?” I shouted, “We need to get out of here!”  
“I don’t think so,” Jasper growled, “I don’t care if I’m shattered. I just want the both of you dead!” She tackled me again, and I shouted in pain as my head struck a rock. I landed underneath some larger boulders and I had a moment of watching the ceiling come down around us before I blacked out.

…

When I came to, Steven lay beside me, and a tiny trickle of light was the only thing allowing me to see. We were no longer fused. I was Lapis Lazuli once more. I groaned as I sat up and tried to make sense of what had happened.  
Steven and I had fused. That much was clear. But then we caused the roof of the cave to come crashing down around us. Jasper had tackled us, and we landed underneath some boulders which seemed to be the only thing that kept us from being shattered. And my head hurt like crazy.  
There wasn’t much room to stand. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand at all, but maybe Steven would. I started to crawl over to him, to make sure he was ok, when I suddenly felt someone grab my ankle. Gasping, I looked behind me and saw Jasper, nearly unconscious, holding strong to my ankle.  
“Lapis,” I heard Jasper groan, “Lapis…”  
“Jasper?” I whispered.  
“My Lapis…” Jasper moaned, and I shivered. I watched as Jasper slowly got to her hands and knees, but she still held me. She looked at me, the darkness obstructing her face. I suddenly felt her pull me towards her, and for some reason, I didn’t resist. She let go of my ankle and hovered over me from where I lay on the ground. I still couldn’t see her face.  
I suddenly felt her tuck her hand under my back and gently lifted me up to her. She got to her knees, pressed me against herself, and very gently kissed me. I felt her wrap her arms around me as she kissed me deeply, and, dare I say, lovingly. I was startled by how gently she kissed me, considering how rough she was before. Did she… suddenly… fall in love with me?  
“Lapis…” Jasper moaned again as she slowly moved down to kissing my neck. I felt my breathing speed up as she kissed me more and more. I couldn’t hear anything except my own breathing and the sound of Jasper kissing me. I couldn’t hear Steven at all and I grew worried for him. Was he even breathing?  
I was surprised when Jasper suddenly released me, and I fell to the ground. I didn’t know what she was planning to do, but I didn’t wait to find out. I had to see if Steven was okay. I quickly went over to where he lay and was relieved to see that he was at least breathing.  
“Steven,” I said quietly, “Are you okay? Please wake up.”  
There was a moment’s pause and suddenly Steven groaned. I breathed a sigh of relief as Steven sat up, rubbing his head.  
“Ow,” he muttered, “My head hurts.” He looked at me. “Lapis! You’re okay!”  
“I am,” I replied, nodding, “Are you okay?”  
“My head really, really hurts,” he admitted, “But other than that, I think I’m all right.”  
I wrapped my arms around him in a hug, and he returned it. I didn’t realize how hard I had been breathing until I nearly fainted in Steven’s arms. I felt him hold me tighter.  
“I can’t believe we fused!” he said excitedly, “I mean, I’ve fused before, but still!” He looked at me. “What do we call ourselves?”  
I thought for moment, reflecting back to when we had been fused. I had only caught a glimpse of Steven’s gem during the fighting, but I felt like I knew what it was. “Azurite,” I answered after a moment, “We’re called Azurite.”  
The sound of movement behind me distracted me from my thoughts, and I suddenly remembered that Jasper was still there. I held Steven closer to me, as if fearing that Jasper would split us apart.  
“Steven,” I whispered, “We have to get out of here and find Peridot.”  
“Oh right!” Steven gasped, “I almost forgot about her! I hope she’s okay!” He released me and stood up. In the dim light, he must’ve not been able to see Jasper, but I could feel her breathing on my back.  
“So how do we get out of here?” Steven asked in a relatively loud voice.  
“Steven!” I hissed quietly, “Please keep your voice down! Jasper!”  
As I said it, I suddenly felt Jasper press up behind me, and I shivered. What did she want from me? I felt her lean in to whisper to me.  
“Stuck in here, my little Lapis?” she whispered sinisterly, “I bet you could fuse to get out of here. But I won’t let you. You will stay here with me.”  
“Steven!” I pleaded, quickly grabbing his arm, “Help me!”  
I gasped as Jasper grabbed my neck, pulling me into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent at least half an hour looking at gemstones to try to determine which gem I wanted them to fuse into. So you'd better appreciate it!


	6. Act Out of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter! What will happen to Lapis and Steven? Will they get out of the cave? Or will Jasper keep them there forever?  
> NOTE: I am going to write a sequel to this afterwards, so look forward to that!

Steven quickly grabbed my arm, trying desperately to pull me away from Jasper. I choked as her fist closed around my throat. Jasper growled at him.  
“Let her go!” she snarled, “She’s mine!”  
“No!” Steven cried, “I won’t let you hurt Lapis anymore! You tried to shatter her!”  
“I won’t let that happen again,” Jasper mumbled in my ear, “You belong to me now. And I will never let anyone take you away from me!”  
Jasper suddenly thrust me towards her, lifting me, and Steven, off the ground. I was panting now, with the effort of trying to pry Jasper’s fingers off my throat and holding up Steven, who was still holding onto my hand, I was exhausted. Growling, Jasper grabbed Steven and pulled him off. She held him in front of her face.  
“Stay away from us, Rose,” she hissed, “Don’t try to interfere or I’ll break you!”  
I was impressed with how strong Steven was staying. He was shaking slightly, but he wore a determined look on his face. He glared back at Jasper.  
“I’m not Rose,” he told her, “And I’m not going to let you hurt Lapis!”  
I was touched by his dedication, and I resolved to help him. Summoning my wings, I slapped at Jasper, trying to make her free me. She sputtered and gasped, but still tried to hold onto both of us. I beat my wings faster, and started to feel her grip loosen. I pushed away from her, and finally broke her grip on me. I flew over and snatched Steven from her grip as well. We fell to the ground, with Steven wrapped in my arms.  
Jasper glared at us. She was still on her knees, as it was too cramped for her to stand. I held Steven tight as she slowly came towards us.  
“Lapis,” Steven whispered to me, “We have to fuse again. We have to get out of here.”  
I nodded in understanding. “I agree,” I replied to him, “How do we do that?”  
I was answered when Steven pulled me in and kissed me gently on the lips. I don’t know if I have a heart, but if I did, it was soaring. I kissed him back just as deeply, and I could almost feel the shock and rage coming from Jasper. But none of that mattered right now, as my gem started glowing, and Steven and I merged into one.

…

I was quite cramped, I must say, but I stood up anyway, stretching and breaking the rocks and boulders above us. Instead of a cave, we were standing in the outdoors now, as the cave had completely collapsed. Moonlight shown down on the rubble, illuminating the area. I looked around, trying to see if I could spot Peridot at all.  
“Peridot!” I called, “Peridot, are you there? Tell me where you are!”  
There was a moment of silence, as I strained to listen, then I heard a small voice coming from a pile of rubble a little bit away.  
“I’m over here!” Peridot’s voice shouted out to me. I let out a sigh of relief that she was okay, and I made my way over to where I heard her voice. I heaved a large boulder out of the way and found Peridot crouched underneath it.  
“Oh, thank goodness you found me!” she sighed, “I was afraid I was going to be stuck under there forever!” She paused and looked up at me. “Hey! You fused again! Neat! Where’s Jasper?”  
The thought suddenly struck me. Where was Jasper? Had I accidentally crushed her when I fused and broke out? I looked back to where I had emerged.  
“Jasper?” I called, slightly concerned. I heard nothing. I wanted to check to see if she was ok, but I was a little concerned that she would attack me again. I took a cautious step forward, when Jasper suddenly burst out of the rubble with a roar. Peridot “eeped” with fear, and hid behind my leg.  
I stared steadily at Jasper, leveling my gaze with hers. She stared back at me, her eyes filled with hatred, and something else. We stared each other down, neither of us averting our gaze or saying anything. The tension in the air was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. Finally, Jasper blinked, then leapt out of the rubble. But instead of lunging at me, she jumped away into the trees behind her, disappearing from sight.  
Peridot peaked her head out from behind my leg. “Is she gone?” she asked cautiously.  
“Yeah, she’s gone,” I replied. I was a little confused. What just happened? Why hadn’t Jasper attacked? Had she finally just given up? Somehow, I knew that this wasn’t the case, but at the moment I was just glad she was gone.  
“Next time, I want to fuse with Steven,” Peridot said suddenly, breaking me from my thoughts. I turned and looked down at her. “What do you call yourself?”  
I recalled the name I was given. “Azurite,” I told her.  
“Cool,” Peridot replied simply.  
I carefully made my way through the rubble with Peridot right behind me. When we got through, I thought about unfusing, but I wanted to stay Azurite a little while longer. Peridot and I walked back to the barn in silence, the moonlight bathing us in an eerie light. We didn’t say anything, and the walk was relatively uninteresting, except for this fight we had with a giant monster the size of a building with sixty arms and two heads. Other than that, though, nothing really happened.  
When we got back to the barn, I took a deep breath and unfused.

…

Steven stood beside me and grinned. Then he joyfully hugged me around the waist. “I can’t believe we actually fused!” he exclaimed.  
“I know,” I said in a breathless voice, “It was a lot different than when I was fused with Jasper. Being Malachite was horrible. But being Azurite was…nice.”  
Peridot came over and embraced us both. “That was amazing!” she complimented, “I can’t believe I got to see the birth of a new fusion twice!”  
Steven chuckled a little. “Yeah, you get to see all the cool stuff, don’t you?” he said. He looked up at the sky, and I did too. I hadn’t noticed how dark it was getting, and Steven yawned.  
“I’m going to head off to bed,” he announced, “It’s been an eventful day.” He stretched his arms and headed into the barn, and I watched him go. I felt a little… unsatisfied. Was he just going to ignore what we had gone through? I was confused.  
Peridot suddenly nudged me, jolting me from my thoughts. “You all right there, Lapis?” she asked me.  
“Yes, I’m fine,” I replied. That was a bit of a lie. Physically I was completely fine. But emotionally, I was in turmoil.  
“Good!” Peridot said happily, totally missing the tone of my voice. She walked back into the barn, and I slowly followed. I watched as she went to the back of the barn and started messing around with a pile of junk.  
As I stood watching her, I suddenly heard Steven call softly to me from where he sat on the mattress. I walked over to him, and he gestured for me to sit next to him. I obeyed and scooched closer to me.  
“Um, did you want to talk about what happened today?” he asked me.  
“What do you mean?” I wondered nervously.  
“You sort of told me you love me,” he pointed out.  
“So did you,” I countered, “Did you… really mean it?” I paused nervously, “Do you really love me?”  
Steven stared down at the floor for a long, silent moment. Then he looked at me. “I do, Lapis,” he replied, “I love you.”  
My breath caught in my throat. “But what about your friend, Connie?” I wondered.  
Steven fidgeted uncomfortably. “Well, that’s the thing, I think I love her too,” he told me, “I just feel so strongly about people, and I feel like I’m somehow lying to you or something.”  
I sighed and smiled a little. “Oh Steven,” I said quietly, “You don’t have to feel ashamed. I think it’s wonderful that you’re so full of love. And you’re only fourteen. You don’t have to decide anything now.”  
Steven smiled at me. “I love you, Lapis,” he said. I smiled warmly back at him.  
“I love you, too, Steven,” I whispered to him.  
I was surprised when he suddenly took my shoulders, gently pulled me down towards him and kissed me deeply. I hesitated a moment, and then kissed him back. We wrapped our arms around each other, kissing each other deeper.  
Steven pulled back and looked at me. “Lapis, will you lay next to me while I sleep tonight?” he requested. An odd request, but I nodded.  
“Of course,” I replied. He laid down on the mattress and I laid down next to him. He cuddled up to me and I wrapped him my arms. As he fell asleep, I couldn’t help but smile. For the first time in my life, I felt happy and satisfied. Steven, my love, lay beside me, and he loved me back. And my life was full.

END

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapters are longer, I promise! Tell me what you think, please!


End file.
